Combined collar protector and shirtboard



May 8, 1956 A. L. IVERSON COMBINED COLLAR PROTECTOR AND SHIRTBOARD 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Nov. 30, 1953 INVENTOR.

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COMBINED COLLAR PROTECTOR AND SHIRTBOARD Filed Nov. 30, 1953 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 F -fl gNVENToR. graerzljveraozz,

'of the combined unit as applied to a shirt. cation is a continuation in part of my copending appli- United States Patent COMBINED COLLAR PROTECTOR AND SHIRTBOARD Arden L. Iverson, Lincolnwood, 11]., assignor to Para-Lox Products Company, Chicago, 111., a corporation of Illinois Application November 30, 1953, Serial No. 395,101

Claims. Cl. 206-46) This invention deals with improved equipment for packaging mens collar-attached shirts, in particular a unitary combined shirtb'oard and collar protector device above which shirts are folded, and by which they are made up so that the collar neckband is strongly braced against crushing load and the top of the collar is well shielded against soil and scufling. The protective device embodies an improved bracing member disposed within and conformed to the inner contour of the neckband at the throat of the latter, which member is connected by an individually flexible bridging element to a collar covering panel to constitute an integral toggle joint which adds materially to the strength and stability This application, Serial No. 389,645 filed November 2, 1953.

It is an object of the invention to provide a one-piece unit of the sort referred to, and a shirt package of which it is a component, in which integrally connected parts include a fiat. top protective panel for a shirt collar, and an internal neckband'bracing member hinged by a toggle bridge to the forward margin of that panel, and reversely positioned in relation to the top protective panel within a neck band. The toggle bridge is swung forwardly and upwardly about an integral hinge to the panel to locate and toggle-lock the bracing member immediately to the rear of the neckband throat, and the bracing member is then swung downwardly'about a hinge to the bridge and unitary shirtboard and collar protector in the form 'of a rectangular backing board having an outer, top,

collar shielding panel articulated thereto. The panel has a transversely extending, wing-like locking and bracing member partially separated by side cuts from a forward free edge thereof and this brace is integrally hinged at its rear to the panel by a rearwardly extending toggle bridge part, the bridge being connected 0 the panel by a short transverse crease Whose ends are met by rearwardly directed extensions of the side cuts referred to.

The bracing member and bridge part are downwardly and reversely manipulated to underlying, upwardly face contacting relation to the top panel in applying the unit to a shirt. From this position the bridge part is swung downwardly, forwardly and upwardly within the shirt collar opening, through 180, so that its opposite surface is now upwardly exposed, whereupon the bracing member, now properly located and toggle locked in relation to the shirt neckband, is swung forwardly across its throat. As stated above an integral, forwardly and down- [wardly swung holding wing, excised from the panel and engaged beneath the collar wings or lapels, holds the .panel in a proper position to swing the bridge and brace,

2,744,623 Patented May 8, 1956 as described, so that they take full internal engagement across the forward zone of the neckband.

The foregoing statements are indicative in a general way of the nature of the invention, general aspects of which are shown in my above identified copending application. Other and more specific objects will be apparent upon a full understanding of the novel combined unit, also the package of which'it is a part.

A single embodiment of the invention is presented herein for purpose of illustration. It will be appreciated that the invention may be incorporated in other modified forms coming equally within the scope of the appended claims.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a top plan view illustrating the manner of shaping, creasing and slitting a flexible paperboard blank from which the improved unit is fabricated;

Figs. 2 and 3 are plan views, Fig. 2 being-partially broken away, showing successive manipulations in the applying and locking of the unit in bracing and shielding relation to a mans collar attached shirt;

Figs. 4 and 5 are views in vertical longitudinal section through the partially and wholly completed package, respectively, further illustrating the operations referred to; and

Fig. 6 is a top plan view of the completed package, partially broken away.

A paperboard blank 10 for the improved shirtboard and collar protector unit is shown in Fig. 1. It is died out in a generally rectangular outline similar to the blank shown in my copending application identified above. Blank 10 comprises a generally rectangular backing board 11, about which a laundered shirt is folded, a transversely elongated, rectangular collar engaging panel 12 integrally hinged to the forward extremity of member III by a transverse crease 13, a collar-shielding top panel 14 integrally hinged by a crease 15 to the forward margin of panel 12, and a transversely extending, wing-like bracing member 16 articulated in a way to be described to the forward margin of panel 14.

Panel 14 is subdivided interiorly by a C-shaped slit 17 and coacting hooked slits 18 whose ends join the same, to provide a bendable protective panel element 19, integrally hinged to panel 14 by a transverse slit-crease connection 20 and adapted to be deflected upwardly and forwardly about that connection, and a holding tongue 21 having divergent wings 22 adapted to be inserted .under the wings or lapels of the shirt collar, forwardly of .its neckband. Slits 18 outline inwardly pointed shoulders 23 on panel element 19 which overlie the top of the shirt collar at its throat, when unit 10 is applied to a shirt.

Bracing member 16 is partially separated from the forward, right hand side of top panel 14 by aligned, transversely extending, elongated slits 24 which are hooked rearwardly or to the left for a substantial distance at their inner extremities, as indicated at 25, to provide a toggle bridging and locking tongue 26, and this tongue is hingedly connected to panel 14 by a short transverse crease 27 across the ends of hook slits 25.

Divergent arms 28 on bracing member 16 are freed from panel 14 by slits 24, and these arms are provided with forwardly convex lobes or ears 28 adjacent their ends. These are made bendable by transversely extending creases 29 aligned with one another and with the forward margin of member 16. The latter is of sufficient width between this margin and the line of slits 24 to constitute a vertical strut for top panel 14 when it is finally positioned in toggle-locked, convex and forward contacting engagement with the inner surface of the shirt neckband at its throat. The same is not true of the holding and bracing tongue Zl and its wings 22.

In order to facilitate their insertion between the shirt neckband andthe shirt collar lapels, the tongue and Wings are made substantially narrower than member 16.

If desired, the toggle locking bridge tongue 26 may be provided with a forwardly extending lug 30 at its conncction to member 16, for a purpose to be described. This lug is defined by a forwardly convex slit 31 and a pair of short aligned creases 32 may be provided to further facilitate bending of bridge tongue 26 relative to member 16.

In use, the body of a shirt is folded in the usual fashion about the backing board 11 of unit 10 and is secured thereto by an encircling paper band 33. Panel 12, positioned to project rearwardly of the shirt collar, is then bent upwardly about crease 13 and top cover panel 14 is flexed forwardly about crease 15 to parallelism with the backing board and into covering relation to the shirt collar 34 and its neckband 35.

While these folds are being made the operator manually deflects the forwardly extending bracing member 16 downwardly and rearwardly about the creased connection 27 of its toggle locking bridge tongue 26, disposing the bracing member and tongue 26 in upwardly contacting engagement with the bottom of top panel 14 as shown in Fig. 2; and as a continuation of this manipulation the protective panel 19 out from top panel 14 and attached holding tongue 21 are deflected upwardly as a unit about crease connection 20 and disposed forwardly into overlying relation to the portion of panel 14 lying between the creases 20 and member 16.

The wings of tongue 21 are now inserted beneath the lapels 36 of the shirt collar to loosely anchor unit 10 in place on the shirt pending the final setting up and locking operations, the package being at this stage in the condition shown in Fig. 3. Convergent shoulders 23 of panel 19 overhang the tops of collar lapels 36 at either side of the throat thereof, so as to prevent soilage thereof.

The operator now inserts his index and second fingers into the opening 37 left in top panel 14 by the displacement of panel 19, placing his thumb on the center of bracing member 16, and upon squeezing these parts together toggle locking tongue 26 is swung forwardly and upwardly about its crease 27, as shown in Fig. 4. Bracing member 16 of course follows along, buckling to the rear about creases 32, and as the manipulation is concluded the tongue 26 is forced upwardly against the lower surface of the forward part of panel 14, as shown in Fig. in solid line. Flexure of the tongue takes place at its two hinges in arriving at this position, and a continuation of the pressure on bracing member 16 causes it to snap past a dead center position and assume position in a forwardly convex contour in conformed engagement with the inner surface of neckband 35. The arms 28 of member 16 are thus toggle locked to the collar around a substantial are at its throat. The lobes 28' of these arms assume wedged engagement with the rear of the shirt, as shown in Fig. 5.

The completed package is shown in Figs. 5 and 6 of the drawings. Member 16 parallels the holding tongue 21 and its wings 22, which are on the forward side of the neckband throat, and is automatically held in its erected position by the toggle effect referred to. The spring stress which is stored in the holding tongue 19 by bending the same downwardly over fulcrum lug 30, in inserting the wings under collar lapels 36, serves to keep the wings snugly urged against the lapels to resist displacement. Otherwise, the collar of the shirt is effectively and completely protected by a box-like construction which completely encloses and covers the collar. Bracing member 16 extends from top to bottom of the package, acting as a strong strut or bracing column for panel 14, which overlies the same over a considerable are as indicated in Figs. 5 and 6.

When it is desired to remove the collar from the packaging unit, it is simply necessary to flip holding tongue 21 upwardly to disengage its wings from beneath lapels 36, whereupon the panel 14 is swung upwardly and rearwardly to the entire unit 10 from the shirt.

Unit 10 does not depend on the shape, size or condition of the shirt to hold the unit in place. It adapts itself automatically to collars of different size and its toggle locking bridge tongue 26 unfailingly positions brace member to snap into conformed contact with the neckband, upon completion of the last step in the assembly of the unit to the shirt. The unit is therefore wholly self-locked and self-sustaining.

I claim:

1. A shirt package comprising a mans collar-attached shirt characterized by an upwardly opening collar and neckband and forwardly divergent lapels on the collar at a throat portion thereof, and a collar protector applied to this shirt, comprising a top panel disposed in overlying relation to the collar, means to hold the same in that relation, and a toggle bridging and bracing unit integrally hinged to a forward margin of said top panel and folded reversely about its hinge beneath the same, said unit comprising a bracing member disposed behind the inner surface of said neckband and in sustaining relation to said panel, and a bridging element integrally connected at its rear to said bracing member and at its front to said hinge of the unit, said bridging element being disposed in face to face contact with the under surface of said top panel.

2. A shirt package comprising a mans collar-attached shirt characterized by an upwardly opening collar and neckband thereof and forwardly divergent lapels on the collar at a forward throat portion thereof, and a combined shirtboard and collar protector applied to this shirt, comprising a backing panel about which the shirt is folded, a rear wall panel forwardly engageable with the outer rear wall panel and disposed in overlying relation to the collar and extending forwardly over the same, a locking and bracing unit integrally hinged by a crease to a forward part of said top panel and disposed reversely beneath the same in bracing relation to said panel and in engagement with the inner surface of said neckband adjacent said collar throat portion, and an anchoring member and connected tongue excised from said top panel and bent forwardly above the latter, said anchoring member being integrally hinged to said panel by a crease spaced rearwardly of the hinge crease for said unit and forwardly overlying the space between said creases said tongue having restraining engagement between said lapels and neckband, said locking and bracing unit comprising an upstanding bracing member over which said top panel is disposed, and a bridging element connecting said bracing member to said panel and disposed in underlying, face to face contact with the latter.

3. A collar protector unit comprising a top panel adapted to be disposed to extend forwardly in overlying relation to the neckband of a mans collar attached shirt, a wing-like bracing member integrally hinged to the forward margin of said panel and adapted to be disposed internally of said neckband in bracing relation to and between said panel rearwardly of the throat portion of said neckband, said bracing member comprising integrally connected arms positionable in curved conformity with and behind said throat portion, a toggle locking bridging member integrally hinged between said panel and said bracing member, and a partially excised anchoring member and tongue assembly in said top panel adapted to be folded upwardly and forwardly with respect thereto into anchoring engagement with the lapels of said collar, said bridging member adapted to underlie said anchoring member in face to face contact therewith upon the movement of said anchoring and bracing members into their operative positions.

4. A collar protector unit comprising a top panel adapted to be disposed to extend forwardly in overlying relation to the neckband of a mans collar attached shirt,

a wing-like bracing member integrally hinged to the forward margin of said panel and adapted to be disposed internally of said neckband in bracing relation to and beneath said panel rearwa'rdly of the throat portion of said bracing member, a forwardly extending lug on the end of said bridging member hinged to said bracing member, said lug adapted to function independently of said bracing member upon the movement of the latter into its operative position, and a partially excised anchoring member and tongue assembly in said top panel adapted to be folded upwardly and forwardly with respect thereto into anchoring engagement with the lapels of said collar, said bridging member adapted to underlie said anchoring member in face to face contact therewith upon the movement of said anchoring and bracing members v into their operative positions, said lug adapted to place said tongue assembly under tension.

5. A collar protector unit comprising a top panel adapted to be disposed to extend forwardly in overlying relation to the neckband of a mans collar attached shirt,

a wing-like bracing member integrally hinged to the for ward margin of said panel and adapted to be disposed internally of said neckband in bracing relation to and beneath said panel rearwardly of the throat portion of said neckband, said bracing member comprising integrally connected arms positionable in curved conformity with and behind said throat portion, a toggle locking bridging member integrally hinged between said panel and said bracing member, a forwardly extending lug on the end of said bridging member hinged to said bracing member, said lug adaptedto function independently of said bracing member upon the movement of the latter into its operative position, a partially excised anchoring member and tongue assembly in said top panel adapted to be folded upwardly and forwardly with respect thereto into anchoring engagement with the lapels of said collar, said bridging member adapted to underlie said anchoring member in face to face contact therewith upon the movement of said anchoring and bracing members into their operative positions, said lug adapted to place said tongue assembly under tension, and a wedging element associated with the forward edge of said bracing member to wedge the same in its operative position.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

